The National Center for Natural Disaster Monitoring and Warnings (Cemaden), the country's leading authority on natural disaster risk monitoring, currently operates with reduced capacity due to lack of staff, infrastructure limitations, and insufficient budget. The situation may compromise the agency's ability to prevent disasters.
An investigation by the Federal Public Ministry (MPF), which O GLOBO had access to, revealed that the institute itself has reported situations where lack of equipment maintenance hindered the sending of storm alerts. An administrative procedure was opened by the MPF last year to demand that the federal government reinforce resources for the agency.
The investigation is being handled by the Federal Prosecutor's Office in Taubaté, in the interior of São Paulo, and began in January 2025, after O GLOBO revealed problems in the agency's structure. The administrative procedure seeks to ensure that the federal government makes more resources available so that Cemaden can operate adequately.
